176 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
Quiz Column 
APPRAISING NURSERY LANDS 
Editor National Nurseryman: 
Will you give me a little information in regard to the values of 
nursery lands? 
I have been asked to give evidence before a board of arbitrators, 
who are trying to arrive at a decision in regard to the value of some 
nursery lands in Ontario, through which a new railway is passing. 
The land through which they are passing is not what you can call 
ideal nursery land by any means, but the owner, like so many other 
people who have no special love for large corporations, is asking a most 
exorbitant figure per acre. I have been asked, rather hurriedly, to 
give this board of arbitrators some idea of the productive value of 
ordinary nursery lands per acre. This is a somewhat complicated 
question in itself to answer and it is difficult at this season of the year, 
when one has no opportunity of judging the quality of the soil, as it is 
covered with snow. The only satisfactory way to handle the matter, 
I think, is to find out the approximate productive values of nursery 
lands per acre in New York State and Ontario, and to strike an average. 
The productive value of an acre of nursery land would vary, of course, 
year after year. For instance, at the present high prices for apple trees, 
an acre set to these would naturally return larger profits than the same 
acre set to cherries; but there is this feature, that the same acre planted 
to apple trees could not be planted again to apple trees after the first 
crop has been taken off it. I realize that it is a very difficult matter to 
handle, and I hope I am not trespassing on your liberality too much 
by asking you to give me the benefit of your wide experience. 
If you will give me some idea as to what it costs in your part of the 
country to plant and cultivate an acre of apple trees the first year, 
second and third year also, I will feel extremely obliged. 
Can you tell me what is an average percentage of a stand of apple 
grafts, after the first year, and what (at the end of three years, say) 
would be No. i. No. 2 and No. 3 trees? I want to find out what No. i 
trees one eould expect out of a block at the end of his third year, and 
how many two and threes. 
Charles K. Baillie. 
Answer —We do not feel competent to answer this 
question. In our judgment the value of an acre of nursery 
land is determined by its productive ability in this or that 
kind of crop. We can readily imagine an acre of land which 
would be cheap at a rental of $20 for growing grape cuttings 
or small fruits. This would mean a capital value of four or 
five hundred dollars. Another acre for this purpose might 
not be worth the amount of the rental outright. 
In the growing of fruit trees, it is fair to say that land 
capable of producing good thrifty apple trees will also pro¬ 
duce equally good pears or stone fruits, so that by a suitable 
rotation its crop producing ability can readily be maintained. 
It is also a matter of experience that the best stock is grown 
either on naturally drained virgin soil, or on deep, well 
drained alluvial deposits. With proper rotation of crops 
both fertility and high grade stock may be maintained for 
many years. The nurseryman, however, covets new land 
and virgin areas; for here there is no contamination of 
disease. 
What a given piece of land is worth for the growth of 
nursery stock can not be approximated until actually tried. 
Again the question of location is very important. 
We shall be very glad to have this question discussed by 
the men in the field. 
Editor. 
The Nation.yl Nurseryman: ^ 
During March ulto. I received from New England and “lined out’’ 
several thousand 8 inch Oriental Plane cuttings, these should have 
been received earlier in this climate. I left two buds above ground and 
all are coming out as a starter beautifully in the budding. I fear that 
the rooting will be too late to support the top growth. 
Would you pinch off one of the buds or leave both and take chances? 
Thanks for information. 
Very truly, Wm. L. Burton. 
Louisiana. 
Answer —You need have no fear that the starting of the 
buds will retard new growth, the roots will take care of them¬ 
selves. After the buds have made a growth of about three 
inches cut away all but the strongest shoot and you will 
produce a good tree. 
Business JVlovemcnts 
BRECK-ROBINSON NURSERY COMPANY 
This corporation has been recently fonned, uniting busi¬ 
ness men who have long been favorably known to buyers of 
seeds and nursery trees. The firm of Joseph Breck & Sons, 
51 and 52 North Market Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 
dealers in seeds and agricultural implements, has been in 
existence for nearly a hundred years. Joseph F. Breck and 
Charles H. Breck, both members of this firm, are president 
and treasurer, respectively, of the new corporation. Mr. 
Alfred E. Robinson, who for twenty years has been connected 
with New York and New England Nurseries, is vice-president, 
and will take charge of the nursery and experimental grounds, 
which are located at Lexington. Mr. Sheldon A. Robinson 
is secretary and also director of the Landscape Department 
of the nursery. Catalogue will be forwarded upon applica¬ 
tion. 
CITRUS NURSERY 
The R. A. Conkling Nursery Co. of Fellsmete, Fla. has 
been organized by R. A. Conkling, R. A. James and 
M. E. Hall. In addition to citrus fruits, shade and orna¬ 
mental trees and shrubs, roses and palms will be grown. 
—The Florists' Exchange. 
INCORPORATED 
Cedar Hill Nursery & Orchard Co., Nashville, Tenn. 
capital stock, $30,000. Incorporators, J. H. Lanier, J. W. 
Shadow, Arthur Crownover, J.- M. Littleton and J. E. 
V aughn. —H or ticuUure. 
McHUTCHINSON & CO. ENTER NEW FIELD 
Probably the first shipment of nursery supply material 
sent from the port of New York to Australia was made by 
McHutchison & Co., importers, of 17 Murray St., New York 
about the middle of April. This consisted of a shipment of 
colored Madagascar raffia, a commodity handled in large 
quantities by this firm. 
It appears that the ill-fated Titanic carried no nursery 
stock for the port of New York. 
Easter week 1912 with New York florists was one of the 
busiest and most successful on record. 
